n erminalia.] XXXVI. COMBRETACE.E. 223 



valleys it extends nearly to the Indus, but is scarce near its western limit. 

 Common in the Oudh Sal forests. Sheds its leaves in Feb. and March ; the 

 new leaves come out in April. The young foliage is of a copper- or tan-colour. 

 FL Feb.-May ; the fruit ripens during the ensuing cold season. 



Attains 80-100 ft., with a tall, straight, regularly-shaped trunk 6-10, and at 

 times 16-20 ft. girth. Branches spreading, forming a broad massive crown. 

 Bark \ in. thick, dark grey, uneven and tesselated by broad longitudinal fur- 

 rows, crossed by short narrow transverse wrinkles, the old bark exfoliating in 

 dry corky scales. Wood light grey or yellowish, open- and coarse-grained, 

 easily worked, but not durable. No distinct heartwood, the cub. ft. of green 

 wood weighs 58-60, of seasoned wood 39-43 lb. Used for planking, packing- 

 cases, canoes, and in the North- West Provinces for house-building alter having 

 been steeped in water. An insipid gum exudes from wounds in the bark. The 

 fruit is a favourite food of monkeys, deer, sheep, goats, and cattle. It is one 

 of the Myrobalans of commerce, and is used in dyeing cloth and leather, and in 

 tanning, and is exported to Europe, Native ink is made of it, and it is used in 

 medicine (Pharm. Ind. 88). The kernels are eaten, but are said to be intoxi- 

 cating. Oil is expressed from them. 



2. T. Chebula, Eetzius Tab. XXIX. Eoxb. Cor. PI. t. 197; Fl. 

 Ind. ii. 433 j W. & A. Prodr. 313 ; Bedd. Fl. Sylv. t. 27. Sans. Hart- 

 taki. Yern. Har, Harra, harara, Hind. ; Halra, If aria, Dekkan ; Sir, 

 Mahoka, Gonds, Satpura range ; Pangah, Burm. 



A large tree ; young branchlets, leaf-buds, and youngest leaves with 

 long soft shining, generally rust-coloured, sometimes silvery hairs. Leaves 

 distant, mostly subopposite, ovate or oblong-ovate, acuminate, 3-8 in. long, 

 main lateral nerves arcuate, prominent, 6-12 on either side of midrib. 

 Petiole shorter than J length of leaf, 2 or more glands on the upper side of 

 the petiole. Flowers sessile, dull-white or yellow, with a strong offen- 

 sive smell. Spikes 2-4 in. long, often panicled, at the end of this year's 

 shoots, terminal, above the leaves, and in the axils of the leaves. Bracts 

 subulate or lanceolate, longer than flower-buds, falling after the flowers 

 open. Free part of calyx cup-shaped, cleft half-way into 5 acute triangular 

 segments, woolly inside with long brown hairs. Filaments more than 

 twice the length of calyx-segments. Fruit obovoid from a cuneate base, 

 sometimes ovoid, 1-1 J in. long, more or less distinctly 5 -angled ; nut thick 

 and hard, with a rough surface, irregularly 5-grooved. T. citrina, Eoxb. 

 Fl. Ind. ii. 435, from East Bengal, leaves broad-lanceolate, with a tapering 

 base ; fruit elongate-obovoid, nut deeply 5-grooved, may possibly be a 

 variety only. 



Siwalik tract and outer Himalaya, ascending to 5000 ft., and extending west 

 to the Sutlej. Common in Eastern Bengal, Behar, Central India, and South 

 India. South of the Nerbudda I have always found it more common and of 

 larger size at elevations above 2000 ft. for instance, on the high lands of the 

 Satpuras. Cultivated occasionally in the sub-Himalayan tract of the Panjab to 

 the Indus. Sheds its leaves in Feb. and March, the new foliage comes out in 

 April, the flowers appear shortly afterwards, and the fruit ripens January to 

 March of the ensuing year. 



In the Panjab generally a small tree 4-5 ft. girth, farther south and under 

 favourable conditions, attains a large size, 80-100 ft., with a tall, straight, regu- 

 larly-shaped stem 8-12 ft. girth. Bark -1 in. thick, dark-coloured, cracked 



